Reader comments
Utah banking on FLDS evidence

It is NOT clear that all calls to domestic abuse shelters from the Yearning for Zion Ranch are linked to phones associated with Rozita Swinton. There were other calls, and, law enforcement says several girls on the ranch matched the description of 'Sarah.'

The other warrant involved, sought after entry, and the evidence gathered as a result of being in plain view, would not be effected even if the original warrant were infirm.

Furthermore, lawyers for the FLDS have already engaged in delaying tactics that proved futile, such as challenging the grand jury and jurisdiction. What needs to happen is for the courts to hear to merits of these cases.

Why does Deseret continue to add a year here and there to these child brides.
It has been confirmed that Warren's youngest bride, shown in a passionate french kiss with him, was TWELVE at the time! NOT 13 years old.

I am against underage marriage and think that those who practice it need to "repent from afar" with Warren Jeffs.

BUT

The long arm of the law had NO RIGHT to RAID A ENTIRE COMMUNITY. Individual homes with specific knowledge yes, but not a entire community.

The chances that Rozita called under a 'Sarah' alias at the same time that another 'Sarah' (who was never found) on the ranch happened to call are miniscule to none. Indeed, the fact that 'Sarah' kept calling dropping significant details, only indicates that Rozita was working with someone involved in the raid, perhaps a Ranger.

The second warrant was based on viewing two "pregnant teenagers" who turned out to be adults. If that's what they use to justify searching and seizing 80 households, then it only betrays prejudice in assumming more than what they had evidence for. Doran's discounting of the Barlow phone call also shows prejudice and hence bad faith.

Finally, the search warrant is overly broad, covering 80+ households, when it was purported to only cover one.

If this search warrant is upheld, the fourth amendment is gone and government can search entire neighborhoods with impunity. No matter how you feel about freedom of religion or the FLDS, you have to be against the state on this one.

That so called evidence was improperly seized. Please prosecute them so they can get their cases thrown out of court and they can then proceed to sue the prosecutors. Or how about you just leave people alone? We don't need government telling us how to live, that includes polygamists.

You will not get my vote this year Mark, even though I respect you. For 2 reason, 1. You aren't fit for duty, you need to get your health taken care of. 2. You are overzealous on this polygamy thing. It is ridiculous. Leave them alone.

I hope they're able to be successful in using this evidence. It would be a terrible injustice if this evidence is thrown out. That would allow these perpetrators to get away with their crimes and the victims to continue to be victimized.

This is really a sick environment that the FLDS live in.

There is a law against under age marriages, there needs to be a law passed against putting young teen boys out of the house to fend for themselves before they are ready.

These FLDS not only abuse girls by forcing them to marry older men against their will, but by forcing boys out of the house to make room for polygamy.

At first I felt really sorry for them because the state comes in and separates them from their kids, then I found out they separate themselves from their own kids, at least by boys by banishing them from the house and their community.

I've heard it said before and I agree, the FLDS should be grateful that larger society is taking an interest in them and helping them to become better people.

All those calls were hoaxes. What was in plain view? Womwn who looked young who turned out to be adults.

Oh yea....the other girls named Sarah....the hideing of sarah.....they all looked alike..old CPS speak for we are going to take them in.

CPS wanted to see a pregnant Sarah with a baby named sarah........they saw up to 50 pregnant teens........do we want to go down the CPS road paved with selectively poor eyesight and defective hearing.

Now we have "other calls" by poor abused girls when CPS and the bookpeddlers claimed that those poor abused people didn't have access to modern communications.

The CPS claim of seeing other signs of abuse is about credible as Jeffs claiming he is attracted to 80 year old women.....the poor guy just left his glasses in the car.

Just an idea here.....the calls that were made from the ranch on cellphones during the raid could have been checked against cellphone records.
Every flds phone kept by the women were siezed while the women were in custody and cellphones held by CPS and LE should have been looked at.
Is it to late to check phone records?

Overly-zealous police activity can insulate the whole community from prosecution.

if no flds are held accountable for the heinous number and types of crimes they daily perpetuate under veil of religious freedom, then all pedophiles, tax cheats, labor law breakers, and domestic violence perps should be sprung, nation-wide. Is that what you"constitution defenders" want? just turn all US laws upside down to keep these freaks"free" to do what they "believe?" Spend about a thousand hours reading about them. You will be so angry you'll wish they had died out naturally long ago.

In grade school, 65 years ago I was taught that people came to America to avoid government's religious persecution, seizing land of the objectionable sects, that sort of thing.

I appears persecution as was taught in grade school is quite widespread in the US

"sarah" is a 30 year old mental case who has made such calls before.

to dyann: 1 year is added to everyones age every year. people have birthdays everyday

zxcvbnm:: they saw 3 women who they ASSUMED were teens who were pregnant. those women turned out to be adults. there were NO pregnant teens

At last count I saw about 200 cases closed. Maybe it will quietly be done in almost all cases. I wonder if the flds will stay at YFZ ranch. Were it me I would be having the young teen males working there and learning a trade.

Isn't Mark Shurtleff suppose to be, as a public official, making sure that ALL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS ARE NOT TRAMPLED ON??? If the FLDS have things that they need to work on, why not go about it the LAWFUL WAY? Government officials are not above the law any more than the people they represent. If there is a protocol in the lawbooks as to do searches, etc. Do not government officials have a guide book as to what they can and can't do? Or does the law read, "Well, except if Mark Shurtleff or Texas decide different?" Quit using the excuse of "the FLDS deserve it" to override the laws that have been set up to protect ALL AMERICANS. Your rights are in danger as much as the FLDS if government officials are upheld in unlawful seizures and searches. That is what America has had a problem with the communist countries for. Now they are doing it themselves!! Hmmmmmm!!!!!?????

I believe that most of the evidence seized will probably stand up and be admissable in court.